WORKING.

Cell phones can take their toll on image

February 27, 2002|By Jacqueline Fitzgerald, Tribune staff reporter.

Using a cell phone without civility can be an image liability.

Lillian D. Bjorseth, a business consultant and president of Duoforce Enterprises Inc. in Lisle, says she finds it especially irritating when people use cell phones on commuter trains. "It's almost an unwritten rule that people don't speak on the train," she says. "It's intrusive and disruptive."

Not only that, she adds, cell chatter can expose your shortcomings. Bjorseth says she recently heard a man explaining why he had failed to do something. "He seemed to forget that everyone else could hear him, and I was shocked that he wanted to share that information."

Ann Marie Sabath, founder of www.corporateetiquette.com, says men and women are equally susceptible to raising their voices when they use cell phones. To avoid having to yell, invest in the best phone you can, Sabath says. Ideally, the connection should be as clear as a land line.

Other gaffes Sabath and Bjorseth have seen include:

- Keeping your cell phone on to make yourself more accessible. "People who are successful are not always available," says Sabath, who suggests turning the phone off, even if you have it on vibrate, during meetings. The only exception would be if you were expecting another member of your team to call in with a contribution to the meeting. In that case, excuse yourself and confirm through caller ID that it is the person you're expecting before you answer.

Bjorseth says phones also should be off during programs and workshops and at restaurants. "[If you take calls] you're telling the people you're with that the person calling is more important."

On the other hand, she says, in a less formal meeting, it's OK to ask the person you are with if he or she would mind if you take an incoming call.

- Using your cell phone in public without creating space from people around you. "If you don't move at least two arms' lengths away from other people," Sabath says, "it creates noise pollution."

- Mismanaging your voicemail. Messages should be checked regularly and your greetings should be up to date.

Your greetings--whether at the office or on your cell--should be short and professional, and if you are away from the office, be sure to say whether you'll check messages and whether the caller can contact one of your colleagues. And instead of saying, "I'll call back at my earliest convenience," which sends a subtle message that the task is not a top priority, it's better to say you'll return the call as soon as you can.

If your greeting has an explanatory segment for first-time callers, be sure to give other callers the option to skip it.

Sabath says it's not enough to let callers know "I'm not available." She suggests this alternative: "This is Mary Smith. I will be in a client meeting on Tuesday morning, April 23, and will return your call in the afternoon. Please leave your name, number and a brief message."

Once you've checked your messages, it's important to return all calls within 24 hours, says Bjorseth.

Leaving messages is another area of foibles, whether on cell or land phones. If you have an unpleasant or awkward message to deliver, avoid the temptation to leave it on voicemail after hours. When leaving a message, if you don't know the person well, give your name and number at the beginning, and repeat it at the end, says Bjorseth. And even when calling someone you know, always leave your number, in case the person doesn't have it handy when retrieving messages.

Bjorseth says her rule of thumb for any communication is: Be conscious of the people around you. While it may sound like a given, "so many people fail to do that, and it's such a simple thing," she says. "Even though you're talking via a machine, you're still dealing with a human being."